title: Plasma brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and response to ketamine in treatment-resistant depression.
abstract: Ketamine produces rapid antidepressant effects in treatment-resistant depression (TRD), but the magnitude of response varies considerably between individual patients. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been investigated as a biomarker of treatment response in depression and has been implicated in the mechanism of action of ketamine. We evaluated plasma BDNF and associations with symptoms in 22 patients with TRD enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of ketamine compared to an anaesthetic control (midazolam). Ketamine significantly increased plasma BDNF levels in responders compared to non-responders 240 min post-infusion, and Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores were negatively correlated with BDNF (r=-0.701, p = 0.008). Plasma BDNF levels at 240 min post-infusion were highly negatively associated with MADRS scores at 240 min (r = -0.897, p=.002), 24 h (r = -0.791, p = 0.038), 48 h (r = -0.944, p = 0.001) and 72 h (r = -0.977, p = 0.010). No associations with BDNF were found for patients receiving midazolam. These data support plasma BDNF as a peripheral biomarker relevant to ketamine antidepressant response.
authors.affiliation: Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Haile
authors.affiliation: Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Murrough
authors.affiliation: Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: D V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Iosifescu
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Baylor College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Al Jurdi
authors.affiliation: Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Foulkes
authors.affiliation: Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iqbal
authors.affiliation: Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Mahoney
authors.affiliation: Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De La Garza
authors.affiliation: Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Charney
authors.affiliation: Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Newton
authors.affiliation: Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Mathew
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D061218:Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007649:Ketamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008874:Midazolam / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D007649:Ketamine; C579455:BDNF protein, human; D008874:Midazolam